1.8) Voyaging Towards Excellence

 

1.8  Voyaging Towards Excellence

        

    ICE BREAKERS

 There are different ways to travel from one place to another for different

purposes. Discuss with your partner and match the words given in table A

with their meanings in table B.

A                                                                             B

(a) Cruise                                            (i) a long journey on a ship

(b) Expedition                                   (ii) a short visit to an outdoor place where people celebrate, enjoy

and eat meals

(c) Camp                                              (iii) a brief pleasure outdoor visit

(d) Trip                                                                 (iv) a short journey to a place with a particular purpose

(e) Excursion                                      (v) a place usually away from urban areas where tents are erected

for shelter

(f) Picnic                                              vi) a journey especially by a group of people for a specific

purpose

(g) Voyage                                         (vii) a journey on a boat or ship to a number of places

Answer

                A             =             Vii

B             =             Vi

C             =             V

D             =             iV

E              =            iii

F              =            ii

G             =             i

 

 

 Discuss the following with your partner and complete the web.

VISION				HARD WORK
		Qualities
PASSION		required for		CONSISTENCY
		excellence
GUIDENCE				CREATIVITY

 

 

1.8 ) Voyaging  Towards  Excellence

              I had a very simple upbringing. We were a lower middle class family. Our 300 square feet house did not even have basic amenities (सुविधा) such as a fan, a refrigerator, a geyser, a dining table or a gas stove;

leave alone an air conditioner or a car. It was only when I entered the college that I got a watch and we got a dining table and a gas stove at home. Nevertheless(तरीसुद्धा) , culturally, I had a rich childhood. Poets like Vinda Karandikar, Mangesh Padgaonkar and Vasant Bapat used to visit our home and for hours I could listen to the discussions about poetry and literature-Marathi and English. They used to talk about Keshavsut, Mardhekar, Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy. I did not fully understand their discussions in depth, but I was immensely (खूप)impressed. We also were lucky to have Pt. Kumar Gandharv, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi and Pt. Jasraj visit our place and talk about Indian music till late night or sometimes dawn. This is how and why I developed my interest in literature and music during my school days. I did not and even today don’t understand the ‘grammar’ of music, but I began to love it tremendously (very much मोठ्या प्रमाणात) since then.

 

Most of the times, the topics of discussion at our home were about music, literature, paintings, sculptures etc. I could listen to the discussions about Van Gog Mozart and Michael angelo etc. It was because of such a milieu (setting ) around me that I had a firm belief which I still hold that all arts are equally, if not more, important in our lives than Science or Technology. I had learnt from my childhood that money does not mean everything in life. It is necessary, but if at all there is something which enriches our lives and puts meaning to our existence, it is the arts, music and literature.

 

This is not to say that I did not like Science or Mathematics. In fact, I loved these subjects. However, I did not study them only for scoring maximum marks in the examinations. I used to study these subjects or any subject for that matter for its inherent (existing in something as permanent) beauty. I found Newton’s law of motion beautiful and Pythagorean Theorem elegant मोहक ( graceful or stylish in appearance or manner). I loved solving problems of Physics and Mathematics of the 9th standard when I was in the 7th, not to show off, but just because I used to get involved in solving them. I used to love problem-solving and used to enjoy finding out the most elegant method of solving them. Obviously, these problems were not a part of the curriculum, but I enjoyed the whole process. This attitude of looking beyond marks or examinations and to seek joy in solving any challenging problem helped me to develop a ‘problem-solving’ attitude which came handy when I appeared for my IIT entrance (JEE) because this exam is completely based on your problem-solving ability and the ability to think not only logically but quickly and rapidly.

 

I scored 100% marks in Mathematics in almost all the examinations that I appeared for from my 1st standard until IIT, barring only a few times. I stood 16th in the SSC Board (at that time, this examination was for the whole of Maharashtra, including Nagpur) and I stood 1st in the University in all subjects put together. Those days, you could get an admission into IIT without the entrance test (JEE) if you had secured the 1st rank in the University. Therefore, I did not have to appear for the entrance test to get the admission into IIT, but nobody in Solapur told me about it, for I doubt if anybody in Solapur even knew about this rule. Therefore, I appeared for the entrance examination, and I secured a very good rank in the same.

 

I was quite happy getting into IIT, but my joy was shortlived (अल्पायुषी). At Solapur I had not seen any building which was more than three storeyed(मजले). Mumbai however was full of skyscrapers. At IIT, most of the students and professors used to converse संभाषण in English whereas my English was very poor. I had my entire education in Marathi. My spoken English was quite pathetic करुणा दायक . Not only did I have a very weak vocabulary, but, my pronunciation also was terrible and my construction of English sentences very awkward to say the least. Due to all this, I was feeling quite lonely and terrified in Mumbai in general and IIT in particular. I had developed an inferiority complex (inadequate feelings न्यूनगंड) and wanted to run away from IIT and even Mumbai.

 

One day, I was sitting at my mess table in the hostel sipping tea when a senior guy came and sat on the chair adjacent to me. He was a convent educated guy with fairly sophisticated (उचयदर्जा) English- at least spoken or colloquial English. He was a bit arrogant गर्विषठ(conceited ) and wanted to pull my leg. He tried to engage in some conversation with me and started pointing out errors in just about every sentence or everything that I said. After about 5 minutes he walked away after insulting me.

 

I felt extremely humiliated and upset. As it is, I was feeling quite depressed and diffident (lacking confidence ) and this incident was the last straw. I was almost broken. I felt out of place there and literally wanted to run away to Solapur that very moment. However, it was only my self-esteem (respect) which stopped me. Suddenly, a feeling of determination and strength came over me and gripped me. Despite hailing (तिरस्कार) from Solapur, if I could be a rank holder in the school, college and IIT with many awards in Mathematics, there must be something right with me. Why should I give up? And that too for a silly and small thing like English? I was not to give up anymore, and I was determined to fight back.

 

As I climbed the stairs of my hostel room, my plan was ready in my mind. Normally most of us who are educated in vernacular(native) languages such as Marathi, think in Marathi, before speaking in English, translate it in English and then somehow try to speak out these translated English sentences in an extremely awkward fashion.

 

I had decided that I would do nothing of this sort. I wanted to achieve excellence. This urge to excel in anything that you try to do has been with me since the childhood. Whether I would succeed in this or not, I always set my aims high. In this case too, I wanted to speak excellent, elegant (मोहक)and fluent English.

 The first thing I did was to start reading English newspapers and English novels. I studied etymology and phonetics (relating to speech sounds ) and studied the roots of the words and how to pronounce them. I used to stand in front of the mirror and practice speaking, realising my mistakes and correcting them myself all the time and improvising and improving day by day.

 

It took about 9-10 months by which time I started feeling quite confident about speaking in English at length with anybody. My fear had vanished and I started feeling at home in my hostel. In my future career, out of 32 years in Information Technology field, I was the Chief Executive or Managing Director or head of Software Company with thousands of software engineers worldwide. During that period I had to give several presentations or negotiate (discussed)  many contracts with the CEOs, Directors or VPs in the US, UK or Australia. I was absolutely at ease (comfortable) at that time. It is only due to the efforts at IIT that I could sign contracts worth millions of dollars worldwide and also run large global software companies.

 

At IIT I got fairly good marks in my first 2 years. However, a very important thing happened while I was in my 3rd year. I came in contact with about 15-20 extremely brilliant students/researchers/professors from IIT, TIFR and BARC. They included top ranking students from IIT, visiting professors in American .Universities, and very renowned mathematicians in the world and so on. I was instantaneously (happening quickly) attracted to this group. This friendship had a lasting impact (चिरकल टिकणार )on in our group, I came to know what real brilliance meant and I realised where I stood. I was actually also very lucky that I came in contact with great people on the global scale early in my life.

 Later in my life when Mr. Narayan Murthy left Patni to start Infosys, I started heading Patni’s software division occupying the same chair. My Head Office was in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, very near Boston. It was in fact the adjacent building to MIT in America. I had to visit the US every few months in those days. I used to visit MIT during lunch time to meet my friends. There, one could see a couple of Nobel Laureates at the dining table. If you walked for an hour from there, you could reach Harvard Square near Harvard University. I used to visit both of these universities and could talk to a number of Nobel Laureates. During these years I travelled a lot to US, Europe, Japan and Australia and could meet a number of great thinkers and management gurus such as Alvin Toffler, Peter Drucker, C. K. Prahlad, Tom Peters or great technologists such as Vincent Cerf, (who designed TCP/IP which is the basic protocol of Internet). All these discussions with these greats broadened my horizon, and my aims and worldview became global. It taught me humility (नम्रता) and made me realise that I had to achieve a lot in life. The lesson in humility and hard work as well as passion for excellence was going to play a very important and vital role in my life.

 

Coming back to my groups in IIT, my friends were not only more intelligent than me, but they were very well-read. They had interest in all the subjects like Science, Technology, Sociology, Psychology, Economics, Philosophy, Anthropology(मानववंश शास्त्र), Archeology(पुराण शास्त्र) , Political Science etc. Our group was interested in all of these branches apart from all the fine arts such as music, literature, painting …. In short, our group was interested in almost anything under the sun (everything) and which concerned human life and existence. I was immediately attracted to the group and developed immense and deep interest in all these branches of knowledge. None of these subjects were part of our curriculum at IIT, but again, I never studied for scoring marks in any examination.

   Here was a sea of knowledge in front of me which I thought was necessary to pass the ‘examination of life’ which was far more important than just passing IIT examination. It is very difficult to become a master or an expert in all these subjects, but it was very important for me to understand at least the basic principles of most of these subjects. Any of us could easily top the GRE examination and migrate to the US. However, that thought never even touched our minds. To understand the world and how it works and serving India and her people was far more important to us.

Therefore, I plunged into उतरणे (dived into) all these branches of knowledge. It was a period of renaissance        (a rebirth or revival of learning) for me. We used to discuss about relativity, Big Bang, aesthetics, literature, philosophy, economics and many other subjects every day until late into the nights. My cupboard was full of books on a variety of topics. It is only because of the human curiosity that we have been able to make such a great progress in science and technology, and social sciences. I have a number of limitations, but one thing I am proud of is the curiosity, humility and humanity, i.e., concern for our fellow human beings. I learnt these values during my IIT days. I also became a firm believer in rationalism (: the practice of basing opinions and actions on reason and knowledge rather than on religious beliefs or emotional responses) and equality for all the castes, creeds, races, genders and religions. I started treating Nature as God and humanity as religion.

 

I passed from IIT, joined a non-violent social movement for tribals with Sarvodaya, participated in a peaceful satyagraha, went to jail for 10 days, came back to Mumbai, was jobless for a while, worked for Rs. 125/month to supervise workers at the night shift in a mechanical workshop, changed 13 houses in Mumbai, and finally settled on Information Technology as my career. I spent 32 years in Information Technology out of which I was a Chief Executive Officer or MD or the software head for 23 years for large global multinational software companies with thousands of software professionals worldwide and 6 offices in the US, 3 in Europe, 1 in Japan and 1 in Australia. I had to travel all over the globe around 150 times for business. During this period, I had also written 4 books with 500-700 pages each on Information Technology published by Tata McGraw-Hill and then translated into Chinese for global distribution.

 

I learnt a lot of things when I was running these large companies. The first one was the importance of team work. In today’s world, nothing is possible without team work. You cannot be successful if you are a loner and an egoistic person. Secondly, you need to lead from the front by setting a good example in front of your staff. Third was that you need to treat your subordinates and your colleagues as friends. In my career, I made a few mistakes, but learnt a lot about motivation, being a good listener, target setting and the art of delegation (प्रतिनिधि) which forms such an important part of today's management.

 

After working for all these software companies for so many years, I wanted to return to my first love i.e. to read and write on various subjects concerning human life and existence. Therefore, I gave up two offers of around 3 crore rupees per annum to become a writer. This is how my second innings as a writer in Marathi began.

 

After this, I have written about 34 books in Marathi. Most of them have become bestsellers with tens of thousands of copies sold for each. However, it is not the sales or the money that is important to me as much as the fact that these books have brought about very good changes in the lives of thousands of readers. After reading my autobiography (आत्मचरित्र)  ‘Musafir’ and a book on Psychology ‘Manat’, hundreds have come out of depression and more than a dozen have given up thoughts of committing suicide and decided to start all afresh. There are hundreds who tell me that they understood the theory of relativity or Big Bang after reading my book on Science ‘Kimayagar’(किमायगार). My book ‘Boardroom’ on Management has created at least 20 successful entrepreneurs. Then there are hundreds who tell me that they now can understand Economic Times or NDTV Profit after reading my book on economics ‘Arthat’. Many have turned to Mathematics after reading my book on Mathematics ‘Ganiti’. The same is true about my books on Indian Music (Nadvedh), English Literature (Zapoorza), Painting (Canvas), Western Films (Limelight) and Western Music (Symphony) or books such as ‘Genius’ series, ‘Rakta’ or ‘Vitamins’ or ‘Anartha’(अनर्थ). It is these reactions of thousands of readers and the feeling that I am touching the hearts of thousands, if not lakhs, of my readers  that keeps me going.

 

Why am I telling you my story? When I look back, there are a number of lessons and values that I cherish and keep learning about even today. Some of these are: Thirst for knowledge, Curiosity, Humility, Humanity, Rationality (तर्कसंगत), Equality, Team work, Quest (भूक) for excellence, Never say die, Thinking  big...

-           Achyut Godbole

 

 

BRAINSTORMING

(A1) (i) Upbringing plays a very important role in shaping one's life.

 The teacher will form two groups in the class. One group will speak in favour

of the above topic while the other will speak against it. Debate brings out

different perspectives, it does not mean one is right and other is wrong. You

can take help of the following points and have a debate on it.

In favour of the topic Against the topic

1. Provides a healthy atmosphere 1. Achievers can be successful in any

atmosphere

2. Makes you confident 2. They are self confident, reliant and

dependent

3. Helps in finding the role model 3. They become role models for others

4. Helps to follow the footsteps of

successful people

4. They set an example for others

 

(ii) Go through the text again and describe the second innings of the writer

in your own words.

 

 

(A2) (i) Read the text again and make a list of great Indian and foreign personalities

who had a great impact on Achyut Godbole during his childhood.

Poets        Vinda Karandikar,………….,………..,………….,……….

Writers            ……….,………….,

Musicians           ………….,………….,

Dramatists           ………….,……………..

Painters            ………….,……………..

 

(ii) Find different techniques used by the writer to learn Science and

Mathematics.

(a) The writer used to appreciate the inherent beauty of these subjects.

(b)

(c)

(d)

 

(iii) The writer faced numerous problems while communicating in English

because-

(a) He had his entire education in Marathi.

(b)……..

(c)…………

 

(iv) The writer was completely stumped because his

(a) vocabulary was……….

(b) spoken English was……………….

(c) pronunciation was………….

(d) construction of sentences was……………..

 

(v) Read the text again and complete the sentence:

Due to the writer’s pathetic English speaking style, he

(a)……..

(b)……..

(c)………

(vi) Complete the following sentences. The writer wanted to achieve mastery

in English because-

(a) he wanted to speak…..

 

: (b) he will be able to…..

(c) he need not have to…

 

(vii) Make a list of different steps that the writer undertook to improve his

English speaking skills.

(a)…

(b)…

(c)….

 

(viii) (a) Read the text again and describe the writer’s achievements after

achieving mastery over the English language.

- His fear for English disappeared.

-

-

-

(b) Go through the text again and complete the table comparing two

different phases of life of the writer-as an MD or Chief Executive

Officer and an activist of Sarvodaya movement.

MD or Chief Executive Officer              Activist of Sarvodaya Movement

Head of the company for 23 years           Participated in a peaceful satyagraha

- -                                        ...........

- -                                  .......

(ix) (a) Complete the web highlighting the various opportunities you gained

due to your good English speaking skills.

Opportunities

you gained

Always selected for

debate competitions

(b) Describe a situation or incident when you felt embarassed for your

lack of knowledge of a particular subject or incompetence in speaking

English fluently.

 

(A3) (i) Fill in the blanks selecting the correct phrase from the alternatives given.

 

[be completely stumped, be broken, feel out of place, speak at length, feel at

home, sea of knowledge, broaden one’s horizon, one’s second innings, touch

the hearts, keep one going]

(a) By the end of the week she was beginning to feel at home in her new

job.

(b) When he lost his mother he was completely .

(c) Travelling can help to .

(d) After my retirement I started as a social worker.

(e) Having faith in God in difficult situation.

(f) To succeed in any competitive examination, one requires a .

(g) The simple village girl in a formal party.

(h) The work done by Sindhutai Sapkal of millions.

(i) The teacher explaining the concept.

(j) The speaker was by the intelligent questions asked by the

audience.

 

(ii) Read the text again and find out all the words related to the game of

cricket. List two meanings of each.

Words related to the

game of cricket                         Meanings

1. Second innings                  General- the second phase of life of an individual

where he/she starts / pursues a new or different career

or the post retirement life

Cricket- when a team comes to bat for the second

time in a test match

2.

3.

4.

5.

 

(iii) Go through the text to find the antonyms of the words given in the grid

and fill the boxes.

 

 l

u

c

k

y

(1) unlucky

(2) solution

(3) trust

(4) confident

(5) advanced

(6) blockhead

 

(A4) (i) Primary Auxiliary Verbs are ‘be’, ‘have’ and ‘do’ which occur most

commonly and can also be used as a main verb in a clause.

Go through the sentences given below and say whether the verbs are main

verbs or primary auxiliary verbs.

(a) I had a very simple upbringing.

(b) I was immensely impressed.

(c) I had learnt from my childhood that money did not mean everything in

life.

(d) He was a convent educated guy.

(e) They did all the work in time.

(f) I had to achieve a lot in life.

(ii) Read the given sentences:

• Does Sam write all his own reports?

• The secretaries haven’t written all the letters yet.

• Terry is writing an e-mail to a client at the moment.

The verbs in bold are broadly used to express tense. 'Do' can also be used

for adding emphasis, as in " I do know the answer." The vebes 'be', 'have'

and 'do' are called Primary Auxiliaries. When helping verbs are used to express

the mode or action, they are called Modals.

• You shall have a holiday tomorrow. (Simple Future)

• We should obey our elders. (Obligation)

• I can play the piano. (Ability)

• Could you open the window, please? (Request)

[7:18 PM, 4/30/2021] tushar khandagale: In the above examples the modals indicate the expressions given in brackets.

There are other modals that are used for expressions.

Study the given table carefully and do the activities that follow.

Modals less definite to more

definite

Expressions

can, could ability

should advise, obligation

shall, will futurity, determination

would habitual past, request

may, might permission, possibility

must, have to compulsion

used to habitual past

ought to obligation

need to necessity

dare to courage

 

(a) Fill in the blanks with appropriate modals according to the situations

given in the following sentences.

(1) Take an umbrella. It rain later.

(2) People walk on the grass.

(3) I ask you a question?

(4) The signal has turned red. You wait.

(5) I was a sportsperson in my school days. I play badminton.

(6) I am going to the library. I find my friend there.

(b) Find from the text, the sentences that show past habit.

(iii) Do as directed and rewrite the sentences.

(a) I did not fully understand their discussions but I was immensely impressed.

(Remove 'but'.)

(b) I had decided that I would do nothing of this sort. (Remove 'that'.)

(c) My fear had vanished and I started feeling at home in my hostel. (Use

‘when’.)

(d) It was only my self-esteem which stopped me. (Remove 'which'.)

(e) I plunged into all these branches of knowledge. It was a period of

renaissance. (Join with 'which'.)

(f) When I look back, there are a number of lessons that I cherish. (Remove

'When'.)

(g) There are hundreds who tell me that they understood the theory of

relativity. (Remove 'who'.)

 

 

(A5) Flyer is a small piece of paper intended for wide distribution at a public

place, handed out to individuals or sent through mail or post it is used

for advertising, an event, programme, drive or product.

Admissions Open

New Arts, Science And Commerce College, New Delhi

(Mission Statement: Changing Lives Through Quality Education)

Details Features Why To Choose Us

• Courses available

• Junior College,

Undergraduate and

Post graduate

• Certificate courses and

Diplomas

• Regular and Distance

modes

- Big , spacious and

smart classrooms

- Highly experienced

teaching staff

- Advanced courses and

programmes

- Modern and digital

technology

• Our students shine in

all walks of life.

• Our teachers’ passion

and dedication

• Beautiful campus and

ambience

• Record-breaking

results

• Our name itself is a

sign of trust.

For more details or any query:

Contact- Principal/Supervisor/ Heads of different Departments or visit the

website - www.newartsscienceandcommercecollegenewdelhi.in

Time: 10 am to 5.30 pm

 

Go through the sample of the flyer given above and prepare flyers on the

following topics.

Use the following points :

- Details

- Special Features

- Why to choose us / Need of drive/ Purpose of the mission

- Anything special

- Add your own points.

Topics :

1. Yoga Class / Summer Hobby Class

2. Tree Plantation Drive

3. Cleanliness Drive

4. Help us to end Child Labour

5. Let’s get rid of the monsters - tobacco and alcohol

(A6) Achyut Godbole has written many bestsellers that are famous far and wide.

Read at least two books of your choice, make summary of those books

and submit